High school football: Eastern Kansas League rankings Week 9

Here are the Eastern Kansas League football rankings after Week 8, including league record, overall record, last week’s result, this week’s opponent and a comment. With the exception of Bishop Miege (a Class 4A-I team), all EKL teams will begin the playoffs this week.

1. Blue Valley (8-0, 8-0)

Beat St. Thomas Aquinas, 45-34; Friday vs. Shawnee Mission South

Still undefeated, Blue Valley will head into the Kansas Class 6A playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed in the east.

2. Bishop Miege (6-1, 7-1)

Beat De Soto 50-0; Friday vs. Spring Hill

After weeks of obliterating opponents offensively, Miege is hitting its stride defensively too, with two straight shutout performances heading into the final week of the regular season.

3. St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3, 5-3)

Lost to Blue Valley, 45-34; Friday vs. Leavenworth

Quarterback Will Swanson passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, but couldn’t pull the Saints back within swinging distance of Blue Valley.

4. Blue Valley North (5-3, 5-3)

Beat Blue Valley Southwest, 28-21; Friday vs. Blue Valley Northwest

BV North started the season with three straight EKL losses but ended on a four-game winning streak to claim a four-seed in the impending Class 6A playoffs.

5. Mill Valley (4-4, 4-4)

Beat Gardner Edgerton, 28-21; Friday vs. Sumner Academy

The defending Class 5A champions snapped a four-game losing streak with a win last week, and still managed a five-seed in the playoffs.

6. St. James Academy (3-4, 4-4)

Beat Blue Valley West, 36-30; Friday vs. Shawnee Heights

It’s been an up-and-down year for St. James, but it ended on a high note, with a win over Blue Valley West to close its first season in the EKL.

7. Gardner Edgerton (3-5, 3-5)

Lost to Mill Valley, 28-21; Friday at Olathe Northwest

Gardner Edgerton went 1-3 in its last month of football and will travel to a Sunflower League opponent this week.

8. Blue Valley Northwest (2-5, 2-6)

Lost to Manhattan, 45-21; Friday at Blue Valley North

A rematch with Blue Valley North, who BV Northwest lost to 28-14 in the opening week, awaits in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs Friday.

9. Blue Valley West (2-6, 2-6)

Lost to St. James Academy, 36-30; Friday at Lawrence

A 2-6 season for BV West yielded the 14-seed in the Class 6A playoffs.

10. Blue Valley Southwest (1-7, 1-7)

Lost to Blue Valley North, 28-21; Friday at Pittsburg

BV Southwest’s upset win over St. Thomas Aquinas two weeks ago remains its only victory this season.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 2:30 PM with the headline "High school football: Eastern Kansas League rankings Week 9."